I was first introduced to Lord Roberts at Bloemfontein,
where I sketched him in his own study. But it was by
no means the first sketch I had made of the Commander-in-Chief. I had sketched him many times on the
march from Klip Drift to Bloemfontein, on the top of
a kopje watching the preparations for a battle, lunching
by the side of his Cape cart, having tea in a Free-Stater's
garden; in fact, I had opportunities of making sketches
of him in every conceivable position. But it was at
Bloemfontein that I had my real chance. There I had
the privilege of being introduced to him by Admiral
Maxse, who arranged a series of sittings at which I
had the opportunity of coming in touch with him and
of studying his delightful individuality.

I was greatly
helped also by Colonel Chamberlain, Lord Roberts's
military secretary, who is an artist himself and took
a great interest in my work. It was he who received
me on my first visit to the Presidency, at nine o'clock
one lovely morning, and escorted me into the presence
of the Commander-in-Chief. This house had been the
residence of President Steyn; now it was Lord Roberts's
headquarters in Bloemfontein a building hopelessly
vulgar both inside and out, filled with intolerable
French statuary and rosebud -bedecked walls
everything of the Early Victorian, antimacassar period.
Lord Roberts's own sanctum was just saved by its
sombreness. It had evidently been used by President
Steyn as a library. At any rate, it was stacked with
books large dusty volumes lay everywhere. It was
a great bare room with a good-sized desk and tall
windows looking out on rather a dreary garden. In
short, the whole place was remarkable for its irredeemable ugliness.

Left: Two studies of Lord Roberts Lord Roberts in his study at Headquarters Bloemfontein. Click on image to enlarge it.

This is where I found myself on the morning of
Lord Roberts's first sitting, very shy and much amazed
at my own boldness in taking Lord Roberts at his word
and daring to appear paint-box in hand. He was so
busy that I felt I should not have been there. It
seemed scarcely the moment to trouble him with so
trivial a thing as this sitting when the attention of the
world was concentrated on his action. "It seems a
presumption in me to ask you to sit, sir," I said.
"Ah, Mr. Menpes, don't talk of presumption," he
answered with wonderful sweetness and charm: "it is
a great privilege to sit to you, and I am delighted that
we have you with us to secure a colour record of what
will be a historic war." So all my tremors went for
nothing! These few courteous words, this simple,
friendly greeting from the great Commander-in-Chief,
put me at my ease at once, and gave me just the
courage that I needed to start my portrait. In this
room everything and everybody was in a whirl of
business; there was no pretence, no outward show, no
decoration, no sword. Here was this little man
simple as a child, working for dear life, economising
every moment; every one seemed to have caught the
fever for work from the chief, the busiest man in South
Africa. There he sat, a small man in a very large
room yet filling it with his presence, very simply
dressed in khaki; everything upon him was khaki and
brown leather, devoid of decoration of any sort: he
had no ribbons, no shoulder straps, nothing to show
that he was a Field-Marshal or a General nothing to
show that he was an officer at all; everything was as
simple as it could be. His moustache and hair were
quite white; his complexion was as clear and fair as a
baby's; he had keen bright eyes, eyes that looked at a
man steadily while talking, without embarrassing even
the shyest person. The figure might belong to a boy,
so upright was it and so compact; and the hands, by
their strength and power, might belong to a man of
great physique.

Lord Roberts, when standing, is always to be seen
with one hand linked in his belt his characteristic
attitude. How every one loves him! You can detect
devotion in each look and act of the men about him.
The secretaries and A.D.C.s that flit about his desk
reverence him; the very scouts that come in with
despatches are won over by his gentle bearing.
Needless to say that before the sitting was over I too had
entered to swell the ranks of his enthusiastic admirers.
He was courteous and considerate doing everything
in his power to make me feel perfectly at home,
pretending to have unlimited time at my disposal, so
that I should not be hurried, when in reality every
moment was of value; talking in a natural, sympathetic
way all through the sitting, touching lightly on various
subjects with all the enthusiasm of a boy. And then he
was such a splendid sitter! He took natural, easy
poses, and kept them all through, entering thoroughly
into the spirit of the thing and taking a keen interest
in the work. When called away to interview a scout
or to write a despatch, he never, I noticed, allowed the
interruption to break the continuity of his conversation.
In short, his conduct was marked by a consideration for
the artist which went far to ensure the success of the
portrait. O si sic omnes!

Lord Roberts is a master of detail, although detail
never confuses him. I might liken him to the painter
who, though his subject be full of detail and com-
plicated, never loses sight of the broad effect of colour.
That is the masterly work; and that is where Lord
Roberts is a master. But perhaps Lord Roberts's
greatest charm is his voice musical, sympathetic, yet
at times full of authority :I have heard him rap out
clear ringing words of command in a tone that implied
immediate obedience.
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